Tag: Whataburger

It’s no secret Texans love their barbecue. It’s also a verifiable truth that H-E-B is one of the mot beloved grocery stores in the state, and maybe even America. Put the two together, and you’ve got a winning formula.

RICARDO B. BRAZZIELL/AMERICAN-STATESMAN

That’s right, Texas. H-E-B is about to introduce drive-thru barbecue stands to certain stores starting in August, the San Antonio Express-News reports. Customers will be able to enjoy meals from True Texas BBQ, the grocery chain’s barbecue brand. The restaurant will also serve breakfast tacos, because of course it will.

“Even if families don’t need to necessarily do a full shop, the True Texas BBQ will be a spot where families can go and dine together and enjoy what is arguably some of the best barbecue in Texas,” H-E-B spokesperson Dya Campos told the Express-News Wednesday.

Sadly for Austinites, it looks like we’re still stuck waiting in line at Franklin. So far, the only store to feature the True Texas BBQ restaurant will be in San Antonio, as part of a new 118,000-square-foot H-E-B in the southwest corner of Loop 1604 and Bulverde Road.

A New Year’s Day fistfight at a Midlothian Whataburger involving Ellis County Sheriff Johnny Brown, two college-aged men and Brown’s brother Bobby resulted in Sheriff Brown’s resignation Wednesday morning.

He pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor assault shortly thereafter.

According to reports from FOX 4 DFW and the Midlothian Mirror, two 21-year-olds from Killeen, Matthew Longoria and Caleb Tomgenovich, told police that Bobby Brown started the Jan. 1 fight after an altercation in the Whataburger parking lot. Video of the incident exists, but has not been released, according to FOX 4.

Brown, who served two terms as sheriff and was recently re-elected, admitted to assaulting Longoria early that morning.

A statement from Brown’s lawyer about the fight reads:

“Sheriff Brown walked into Whataburger in Midlothian where a fight was already in progress. His initial observation was a large white male assaulting Sheriff Brown’s 59-year-old brother and knocking him to the floor. As a sworn law enforcement officer, he is obligated to preserve the peace. He used the force and language necessary to end the violence, prevent further assaults, and protect others from being harmed.”

However, Brown was not wearing his badge (having just come from a Republican Women fundraiser) and acted as a civilian. At one point, according to FOX 4, Longoria said that when witnesses threatened to call the cops, Brown yelled, “We ARE the cops!”

Brown released a statement Wednesday stating that it “has been my honor to serve as the Sheriff of Ellis County, Texas for two terms and to have been re-elected by its citizens in the most recent election. I was involved in an unfortunate incident earlier this year which has reflected unfavorably upon me, and I do not want it to adversely impact the good men and women of the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office or the citizens we serve.

“I have accepted the judgment and sentencing of the court and will not file for new trial [sic] or an appeal. Additionally, I have decided to end my long career in law enforcement by permanently surrendering my Texas Peace Officer License and all certificates issued to me by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.”

Any self-respecting Texan knows Whataburger is amazing. But it’s taken a while for the rest of the country to recognize just how good Texans have it when it comes to Whataburger and its many delicacies.

Courtesy of Whataburger.

Not anymore.

A recent post from Buzzfeed has nothing but great things to say about Whataburger, deeming it better than California burger joint In-N-Out and New York City standard Shake Shack.

No matter how much you love Whataburger (and I’m sure it’s a lot), you probably don’t love it as much as this guy.

Screengrab via CandleLight Films / Facebook

Meet John. His wedding video is going viral, and it’s not because he and his wife, Amanda, are adorable (I mean, they are) — it’s because of a video posted on Facebook by CandleLight Films, the company which produced John and Amanda’s wedding video.

At some point during John and Amanda’s wedding day, John got Whataburger. And he was a little excited about it. So, CandleLight Films posted this on its Facebook page last week:

I can hear every Texan reading this saying, “SAME” simultaneously. How did John know that I do this exact dance when I get my patty melt in the Whataburger drive-thru?

He dances to the wedding band covering Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” while clutching the burger and munching on a few fries and proceeds to become the most relatable Texan we’ve ever seen. This is what a man in love looks like, y’all.

If you live in Texas, you know these YETI stainless steel tumblers are all the rage. They’re pricey, but they keep your beverage super cold (or super hot) for what seems like hours longer than any other cup or mug you’ve ever owned.

While some argue that there are almost identical yet more affordable options to keep your beverages temperature-controlled, Texans are pretty loyal to their brands. Which means it was only a matter of time before this happened:

Reddit user u/need-a-refill (appropriate name) posted a custom-painted YETI in the r/Texas subreddit in mid-October, and it didn’t take long for the Texas-based fast food chain to respond with their own version.

Image courtesy Whataburger

Ask and you shall receive. You can buy your own Whataburger-branded tumbler, which looks just like a large Whataburger cup (but no styrofoam here!) on Whataburger’s website for $42.99. That’s a few bucks more expensive than a YETI brand, but you don’t have to paint it yourself.

“Today’s digital world is all about efficiency and easy connectivity, and our mobile app is designed to make life a little more convenient for our customers. It also gives us a great opportunity to engage customers in a new, different way in an effort to provide the best service possible,” senior vice president of restaurants Rob Rodriguez said in a news release. “Most importantly, the Whataburger app allows us to show some love to our loyal fans with our new rewards program, and we think our customers will especially crave the chance to earn free food.”

Whataburger breakfast. The holy grail of late-night drunk eats. It’s a travesty that the taquito, the B.O.B. and the ever-faithful Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit are only available from the hours of 11 p.m. to 11 a.m., truly one of the greatest struggles of the modern world.

This Thursday, July 9, 2015 photo shows a Whataburger restaurant in San Antonio, Texas. The iconic Texas restaurant chain will not allow the open carrying of guns on its properties, taking a stand against a new law legalizing the practice. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

But I’ve got news for you. If you want to experience the greasy, honey-buttery goodness of an HBCB outside of those oppressive late-night and early morning hours, there’s a way.

And according to American hero House90, a purveyor of Whataburger gospel in the r/Texas subreddit, it’s really easy.

“TIL at Whataburger you can order honey butter instead of BBQ sauce on the chicken strip sandwich, effectively making breakfast available 24/7. You’re welcome,” they write.

The San Antonio Express-News confirmed Friday that the wonderful burger chain has met with DC Comics and is currently engaged in a “friendly trademark discussion” about Wonder Woman’s new logo, which bears a bit of a resemblance to the orange “Flying W.”

Wonder Woman’s latest logo.

“Contrary to some suggestions, Whataburger is not at war with Wonder Woman over her newly redesigned logo. In fact, Whataburger supports superheroes like Wonder Woman and her friends in the Justice League,” a Whataburger company spokesperson wrote in a statement to Chron.com. “Truth be told, Whataburger’s own superhero – Whataguy – would love to team up with Wonder Woman and her friends sometime to battle evil together.”

But which logo came first? Whataburger’s current logo was trademarked in 1972, while Wonder Woman’s stacked W logo was trademarked in 1985. The character of Wonder Woman has been around since her first appearance in Dec. 1941.

At first, the Amazon Warrior’s trademark bore some resemblance to Whataburger’s logo, but if there ever was any creative dispute, Whataburger had little reason to worry. Wonder Woman’s logo was registered for the comic book industry, and not for the beverage or restaurant service industries.

Wonder Woman’s original logo from 1985.

However, with April’s “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and 2017’s “Wonder Woman” and “Justice League” films, where Gal Gadot plays the superhero with the lasso of truth, the Wonder Woman logo will become much more visible.

“Wonder Woman’s stacked W logo has both made it appear more similar to Whataburger’s long-standing Flying W trademark and has been accompanied by nine new trademark applications, covering a much more substantial list of goods and services than just comic books, including a variety of food and beverage products,” the spokesperson wrote to the San Antonio Express-News.

Legal action hasn’t been taken by either party yet, and the proceedings seem fairly amicable. But does this mean that we might see Whataburger/Wonder Woman tie-ins in the future? Will a scene of the “Wonder Woman” film take place at a Whataburger? Will the Justice League regroup and plan their next move over Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits? We can only hope.

And they did. As of 2013, the couple had visited all 730 restaurants in 10 states. The chain even declared them its biggest fans. In a Texas Monthly article in 2013, the couple said they had started their quest while Carol Hoepfner was undergoing radiation treatment for a rare form of eye cancer.

Their affinity with Whataburger dates back to 1963, according to an article in Food Republic. Karl said he and Carol were stationed in San Angelo as part of the Air Force and were looking for a good meal for a great price. “We found both in Whataburger, so we stuck with it,” he said.

But earlier this year, after 59 years of marriage, Carol died.

“My wife had eye cancer, and she just passed in February,” Karl told The Monitor. “We had visited all the stores through 2013. She got so bad that she couldn’t go with me anymore. After she passed, I’ve been kind of lonesome and I don’t have much to do, so I decided I’d go out and visit some more stores.”

Karl, who has developed a relationship with Whataburger over the past few years, received a list from the chain with every restaurant that had been built since 2013. His stop in Brownsville marked No. 24 and he still has about 50 left to go.

It’s an exciting time to be alive if you’re a Whataburger lover — the Sweet & Spicy Bacon Burger is back.

The fast-food restaurant announced Monday that at 3 p.m. the burger would be available once again — but only for a limited time. The burger, which debuted last summer, is made up of two beef patties, bacon, grilled onions, Monterey Jack and American cheese, Whataburger’s Original Mustard and its Sweet & Spicy Pepper Sauce.

It’s unknown how long the burger will be available but people are already going crazy on Twitter.